Conveyer inlet with crusher



May 5, 1941' E.- B. TOLMAN, JR 2,240,868

' coNvFnnazR` INLET WITH CRUSHER Filed March 9, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 rnzys,

May 6, 1941.

E. B. TOLMAN, JR

coNvEYER INLET WITH CRUSHER Filed March 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1941 UTED STTES OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates more particularly to conveyor systems used in connection with powdered fuel red furnaces for conveying the ash from the furnaces to a point of disposal and more especially to pneumatic conveyer systems for such use.

Most of the ash discharged from the furnace for disposal, is of a very fine nature and feeds readily into the conveyor. However, under some conditions, the ash forms into clinlers and in such condition presents considerable difliculty in feeding it to the conveyer, as systems have been provided hitherto, necessitating the opening up of access holes to permit the use of the necessary tools for breaking the clinkers.

In this connection one of my objects is to provide mechanical means for breaking up the clinkers to a size that will readily flow into the conveyor without the necessity of opening up the system in any way.

Furthermore, in such installations it is necessary to provide as short a passage as possible, commonly provided with a valve, between the furnace and the conveyer and in this connection another of my objects is to provide for such a short passage, including within it the valve and Crusher means.

Another object is to provide a valve and Crusher assembly of low head room requirements.

Another object is to provide a novel construction of valve for use more particularly, but not exclusively, as the means controlling the flow of ash to the conveyer; and ,other objects as will be manifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical sectional elevation of a conveyer system for the purpose above stated and embodying my invention, the section -being taken at the line I on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and

Figure 2, a similar View of the same system viewing it normal to the direction in which the structure is viewed in Fig. 1, the section being taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

In the system shown 3 represents a section of a pipe line of a conveyor, as for example a pneumatic conveyor, to which the ash to be conveyed discharges from the furnace through an upwardly directed inlet 4 in the side wall of the pipe line, the pipe line, as is well known in the art, being associated with means (not shown) for creating by suction a high velocity now of a fluid-air in the case of a pneumatic conveyer--through the pipe line to carry the ashy to the point of disposal.

The opening 4 communicates with a passage which leads from the ash outlet (not shown) of the furnace, this passage being shown as comprising a valve casing 5 the upper inlet end 6 of which is of general hopper form, its outlet 'I being connected with the inlet 4 of the pipe 3; and a hopper-like section 8 connected at its lower open end to the upper end of the valve casing 5 and at its upper inlet end to the ashoutlet of the furnace.

The valve casing 5 contains a rotary valve 9 for controlling the flow of ash through the pas-v sage. The valve shown is of cylindrical form slotted transversely thereof as shown at lil through its periphery at one side to a point beyond its longitudinal axis but short of the periphery of the cylinder at its opposite side, whereby the ends of the cylinder are connected together by a segment I I of the cylinder. The segment II is of such size and shape, as shown, that when the valve 9 is in the position shown in the drawings its inner surface I2 forms a continuation of the adjacent surface of the inner inclined wall of the hopper portion of the valve casing 5 above it and of the wall of the casing outlet '1; and when rotated out of the position shown substantially will form la closure for the casing outlet 1.

One end of the valve 9 is provided with a shaft I3 extending exteriorly of the casing 5 and provided with means for actuating the valve. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, either manually operated or operated by a power device. The means shown comprise an actuating lever I4 connected between its ends to the shaft I3 adapting the lever to be actuated by force applied to either of its ends, as through the medium of chains I4 and I5.

In accordance with certain of the phases of my invention I provide ahead of the valve 9 means for crushing clinkers which miay discharge with the fine ash into the passage, to such size that the material will readily flow through the passage into the conveyer.

'Ihe crushing means shown comprise cooperating Crusher bars or jaws I6 and II located in the hopper 8, preferably with their opposed faces fluted as shown at I8.

The jaw I6 is supported by lugs thereon at its opposite ends near its upper edge, one of the lugs being shown at I9, on a shaft 20 mounted at its ends in walls of the hopper 8, the lower end of the jaw I6, bearing against a stop 2| in the hopper 8, in which position it inclines inwardly at its lower end.

The other jaw I'I is rigidly secured by lugs thereon disposed as in the case of the lugs I9, one of these lugs being shown at 22, to a square shaft 23 journaled in side walls of the hopper 8, the lower end of the jaw II inclining inwardly.

Means are provided for rocking the shaft 23 and consequently the jaw I'I toward 4and away from the jaw I6 to exert the desired crushing pressure against clinkers which may enter Abetween these jaws.

The means for this purpose may be of any suitable construction and Voperated either manuallyor by a power device.

The means shown comprise a lever 24 rigidly connected between its ends to the outer end of the shaft 23 adapting this lever to be actuated by force applied to either of its ends as through the medium of chains 25 and 26.

By the arrangement shown the valve 9 and Crusher jaw I 'Iv may be' operated from either side of the passage referred to which is an :advantage as situations are sometimes presented making theA actuatingv means diicult, if not impossible, of access thereto at one side or the other, of the passage.

Inv installations of this character it is desired that the conveyer be as close as possible to the furnace, and in any event the space between the conveyer and the furnace, .to satisfy commercial requirements, must be relatively shallow. This requirement is amply complied with by my .con-

struction wherein the crusher jaws IS and I'I, in providing them of the preferred length, extend at all times into the slot I6 in the valve 9 and thus do not present obstruction to the valve in its movements into :and out of open position.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention I `do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modied and altered and the invention embodied in other forms of structure without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new :and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

' In a conveyer system, the combination of a tubular fitting to be included in a conveyer conduit and having a flanged inlet port, a valve casing formed with walls flaring in one dimension from va flanged outlet secured to said inlet port, to a flanged inlet port; :a Crusher casing having walls generally haring from a iianged outlet secured to said valve casing inlet port, to an inlet opening, a valve housed in said casing for movement bodily edgewise in the :arc of a 4circle from port-open to port-closed position, downwardly converging Crusher jaws housed in said Crusher casing and projecting into said valve casing within the cylindrical space of which the path of movement of the valve forms a part, means to actuate said valve and means to actuate at least one :of said Crusher jaws toward the other thereof.

EDGAR B. TOLMAN, JR. 

